Germany

Hallo!

Welcome to Germany. This highly industrialised country is Europe’s political and economic leader and considered to be a great power in the modern world. Germany has a booming economy, solid infrastructure, a capable labour force and plenty of industries. The German Government is also a keen supporter and facilitator of foreign investment. With these positive business points comes diverse opportunities for New Zealand businesses.

To find out more, download our Germany market guide on this page.

Quick facts

Here's a snapshot - you can find more detailed data in our guide.

Export market ranking

NZ's 15th largest export market (20161)

Free trade agreements

None

Ease of Doing Business ranking2

17 of 190

Corruption Perceptions Index ranking3

10 of 176

1 Source - comtrade.un.org

2 World Bank Ease of Doing Business 2017

3 Corruption Perceptions Index 2016

Getting to Germany

Flying from New Zealand to Germany includes at least one stopover. Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways and their respective code share partners all offer non-direct flights. Depending on the stopover destination and waiting time, flight time is at least 29 hours.

When to visit

It’s best to avoid business meetings in July and August as this is Germany’s main summer holiday period and many businesses take extended leave. It’s also a good idea to check out Germany’s national holidays as some businesses may be closed on these days.

Cultural tips

Germans see New Zealanders as being direct and uncomplicated – qualities the people of Germany like. In saying that, there are a couple of helpful tips when doing business across the country. For example, meetings should be planned well in advance and punctuality is important. In addition, people generally address each other formally and it’s important to remember that not everyone speaks English.

You’ll find more cultural information in our guide on this page.

Working in-market

Getting the most out of your visit means hitting the ground running. Co-working is an excellent option if you’re staying put for more than a few days. Facilities vary, but typically you can expect a desk, and access to wifi, printer / scanner, tea / coffee and a lounge area. Some facilities may offer extended perks such as parking and on-site cafes. If you’re visiting the market solo, it also means the chance to work in the company of other like-minded business people and freelancers. Co-working spaces can be searched by city on Nomad List.

Connect with NZTE in Germany

If you’re an NZTE customer and preparing to visit Germany, please get in touch with your Customer Manager to discuss your plans and possible areas of assistance. If you don’t have a Customer Manager, contact our Advisor Team for more information.

New Zealand's relationship with Germany

If you're looking for more information about our trade and diplomatic relationship with Germany, take a look at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website. Their Germany page is packed with information, including a list of embassies and details of recent official visits.

Germany market guide

Europe insights

Prepare for doing business in this region with our library of market guides, videos and resources.

I'm visiting my market. How can NZTE help me?

If you’re an NZTE customer, please get in touch with your Customer Manager to discuss your plans and possible areas of assistance. If you don’t have a Customer Manager, contact our Advisor Team for more information.

I want to find an in-market distributor for my business

NZTE doesn’t maintain lists of distributors for specific products and markets. We encourage companies to do as much of the initial search process as they can for themselves, while bringing in professional help where needed.

Regulations and tariffs should be one of the first things you find out before exporting. They often determine whether a market will be easy or hard for you to export to, or whether you should try to do business there at all.

Understanding regulations in your export destination is a must-do. For an introduction to what you need to think about, see our guide on understanding international compliance requirements. This includes tips on how to research regulations, as well as insights on local regulations, standards, health and safety, and dealing with local bureaucracy.

If you’re planning to export food or food-related products, you should also check out the food exporting page on the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) website. MPI maintains a list of Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMARs) for New Zealand food products in different export markets – search and identify OMARs for your product online.

Tariffs can make your products more expensive and less attractive to overseas buyers, so you need to know the charges your products will attract before you commit to a new market.

You can get a big head start in finding tariff information by using the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) tariff finder or the World Trade Organisation’s tariff download facility. You can search the databases by product name, but they work best when you know the approximate Harmonised System (HS) code for your product. HS codes are used by customs authorities around the world to identify products and apply tariffs. The longer the code is, the more precisely it describes your product. The first six digits of an HS code are usually the same worldwide – after that, there can be up to eight further digits, which often vary from country to country.

New Zealand Customs can help you to find out the first six digits of your HS codes – email VOC@customs.govt.nz.

To get a longer and more precise HS code for a particular market, look up and contact the local customs authority online, or talk to a customs broker or freight forwarder who has done business in that market.

I want to find out about packaging and labelling for export

Packaging and labelling requirements can be very different from country to country, so get as much information as you can before making the decision to export.

Depending on where your products will be sold, you might need to use different materials or labels, and include different types of information. In some countries, you might have to translate all your packaging or labels into the local language – in others, applying a sticker with a few key details will do the job.

Make sure that you check out all of the requirements for packaging and labelling before tackling a new market, including anything that’s needed during transport or distribution.

We suggest that you work with a customs broker or freight forwarder, or get advice from a lawyer in-market, to understand all the requirements for your product and the place where it’s headed. The Customs Broker and Freight Forwarder Federation (CBAFF) has a list of customs brokers and freight forwarders within New Zealand.